Fred Minnick reported on Monday that Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon for 2025 just dropped. This release is different from every other year in that the brand did not use “setback” during the fermentation process. The Brown-Forman-owned company switched its focus from a sour mash production process to a “sweet mash” process instead.
The bourbon brand distilled the whiskey on April 5, 2013, and Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris and Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo decided to choose these barrels from Warehouse K, Floors 1 and 5.
“For our 25th Birthday Bourbon release, the absence of setback allowed the yeast to express its full character, creating a flavor profile that’s both delicate and complex,” Old Forester’s Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo said in a news release, according to Fred Minnick.
The outlet reported that this year’s flavor involves a sweeter profile, with a softer texture, and it clocks in at 92 proof. The brand imposed a limit of one bottle per customer.
The Origins of the Sweet Mash Process
Old Forester is not the first brand to implement the sweet mash process. Other brands have made it its calling card, like Hard Truth, and the sweet mashing process differs from the standard sour mashing process, according to Whisky Advocate.
Sweet mash whiskeys were initially popular because of Pre-Prohibition rye whiskey distillers in Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to the outlet. Distillers argue that sweet mashing gives them more control over the distillation process and a softer spirit. Some setbacks include a potential for harmful bacteria growth, but distillers can combat this by implementing proper sanitization practices.
This year’s Birthday Bourbon is available through an online sweepstakes that runs through August 21st, 2025. Winners must visit the distillery in person and pick up the bottle on September 4, 2025, and December 20, 2025. For more information, visit the brand’s website here.
Old Forester’s Birthday Bourbon first launched to celebrate the brand’s founder, George Garvin Brown’s birthday on September 2, 1846. The first expression dropped in 2002, according to Robb Report. This release hosts a suggested retail price of $200, yet if you do purchase it on the secondary market, you can expect to pay significantly higher costs.
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